There are lots of great hiking near Barcelona, but hiking to Montserrat is one of, if not the best Barcelona hiking trails. A day trip to Montserrat from Barcelona is an awesome experience.
Montserrat is a multi-peaked mountain range reaching 1,236m at its highest summit, Sant Jeroni. The other two main peaks are Montgrós at 1,120m and Miranda de les Agulles at 903m.
There are various ways to explore these mountains near Barcelona and lots of different Montserrat hiking trails for varying abilities.
But if you have an adventurous streak like us, one of the best Montserrat hikes to do is climb Montserrat mountain, all the way up, from the base to the summit.
Hiking to Montserrat
The Montserrat Barcelona hike all the way up the mountain is no mean feat and certainly not the easiest trail to find. But we’ll give you all the information you need. Plus for those not looking for such an extreme adventure, lots of other Montserrat hiking options.
In this complete guide to hiking Montserrat, we’ll tell you:
- How to get from Barcelona to Montserrat.
- All Montserrat hiking trails on the mountain ( Montserrat hiking map).
- Packing list for hiking in Montserrat and the best time to go.
- How to visit Montserrat Monastery with a little background history.
- What you need to know about the Montserrat cable car and funicular.
- Montserrat accommodation for if you decide to stay overnight.
- The best Montserrat tour if you prefer to have it organised for you.
As it says on the tin – this is a full guide to the Montserrat hikes. Let’s do this!
Getting To Montserrat From Barcelona
By far the quickest and most direct way to visit Montserrat is to get the train from Barcelona to Montserrat. This goes for whether you are hiking up Montserrat mountain or not.
The journey from Barcelona train station Plaça Espanya to Montserrat takes just over an hour. However because of the various routes up and down the mountain, the Montserrat train ticket options can be a little confusing.
We’ll do best to break down the different options so you can decide what’s best for you.
Barcelona To Montserrat Train Tickets
Option 1: Trans Montserrat Ticket
This combination Montserrat ticket includes:
- Return metro ticket from anywhere in Barcelona to Plaça Espanya train station
- Return train ticket from Barcelona to Monistrol de Montserrat train station
- Round trip ticket on the Cremallera or Aeri to Montserrat
- Unlimited use of the Sant Joan funicular
This is the best option for if you are going to hike Montserrat but fancy taking an alternative route down on either the Montserrat cable car or rack railway.
It’s a great way to see the Montserrat mountain range from a different angle. The Montserrat cable car in particular is a lot of fun.
Option 2: TOT Montserrat Ticket
This ticket literally means the whole of Montserrat and includes:
- Return metro ticket from anywhere in Barcelona to Plaça Espanya train station
- Return train ticket from Barcelona to Monistrol de Montserrat train station
- Round trip ticket on the Cremallera or Aeri to Montserrat
- Unlimited use of the Sant Joan funicular.
- Admission to the Montserrat Museum
- A meal at the self-service Montserrat restaurant
This is the best option for if you prefer to have lunch included and want to also visit the Montserrat Museum. It is cheaper than buying everything individually on the mountain.
You’ll need to pick your tickets up at the tourist office located in Plaça Catalunya.
By the way, the Cremallera is a train that goes up Montserrat mountain – it’s also called the Montserrat rack railway. The Aeri to Montserrat is the cable car that runs up Montserrat Mountain. And the Sant Joan funicular is mountain train that goes up steep slopes.
Just a note about the Sant Joan funicular though, it doesn’t go all the way to the top, there is still an element of hiking to get to the summit.
Option 3: Barcelona to Montserrat Train Ticket
Not bothered about going in the Montserrat Museum and would prefer to hike back down Montserrat Mountain? You can just purchase a return train ticket from Barcelona to Monistrol de Montserrat train station.
Unfortunately you can’t purchase these online in advance. You’ll need to get them from Plaça Espanya train station. If you are purchasing them on the day make sure you allow yourself plenty of time because it’s way more difficult than it needs to be!
Sometimes you might find a train station attendant knocking about, but just in case there isn’t here’s some guidance.
- Change the ticket machine language to English (unless you understand Spanish or Catalan of course).
- Next choose ‘FGC single ticket’ and ‘FGC single ticket 2 Journeys’ (this will give you a return).
- Then choose ‘Zone 4’ and the number of tickets you need.
- The fare is €10.50 (2018 price) each and you can pay by cash or card.
If you are planning on hiking Montserrat and back down again, these are the cheapest Barcelona to Montserrat train tickets that you can get.
You can buy tickets for the Montserrat rack railway and all the cable cars individually on Montserrat mountain. But they are more expensive than buying a Trans Montserrat Ticket or TOT Montserrat Ticket in advance.
You can buy some combination tickets from some booths at Plaça Espanya train station. But when we checked they were more expensive than buying online in advance. And didn’t the return metro ticket included.
There is another ticket that you can buy online in advance called the Montserrat Express, but to be honest, we don’t think it’s that much of a good deal.
Plaça Espanya to Montserrat
Plaça Espanya train station is on line 1, line 3 and line 8 of the Barcelona metro system so it is easy to get to.
However, it is also huge with lots of different levels. So be sure to allow plenty of time.
Especially if you are buying your train tickets to Montserrat on the day because if you miss the train you’ll have to wait another hour for the next one.
Depending on where you are coming from in Barcelona, when you get into Plaça Espanya train station you need to either follow the green signs for ‘R5 Manresa’ train or the orange signs for Montserrat as pictured below.
This will take you to the platforms for the Barcelona to Montserrat train.
Barcelona To Montserrat Train Times
The train from Barcelona to Montserrat runs there and back every hour and it’s the R5 train to Manresa that you want. You can find the Montserrat Barcelona train timetable here.
This Montserrat train left from platform 3 the day we went, but obviously please double check on your day of travel.
On your way back you can also double check the Montserrat to Barcelona train times at the tourist information office on Montserrat mountain.
Barcelona to Montserrat Bus
You can also take a bus from Barcelona to Montserrat. Although the journey time is longer at 1 hour and 25 minutes than Montserrat from Barcelona train.
The bus service runs from the Barcelona Estació Sants bus station to Montserrat Monastery and the company is called Autocars Julia. There’s a bus running daily year round, but times vary depending on the season. You can find the exact times here.
Barcelona to Montserrat by Car
You can also visit Montserrat by car. It’s just over 60km away and the journey time will take you around an hour. There is plenty of parking.
If you’d prefer to hire a car and drive yourself, we recommend renting a car with Auto Europe for the best deals.
Please note however that if you choose to visit Montserrat by bus or car, you won’t be able to hike Montserrat from the base. This is because the car parks are already part way up Montserrat mountain.
Best Way To Visit Montserrat
If you are choosing to hike Montserrat from the base, which we would highly recommend, your way up Montserrat mountain is via one of two Montserrat hiking trails.
The Montserrat hiking route you choose will determine at which stop you get off the Montserrat train. We took one up and the other back down. But you can go up and down the same way if you prefer.
Or as discussed above, come back down Montserrat mountain via the Montserrat rack railway or cable car. This way you can see Montserrat Barcelona from a different angle.
Montserrat Hiking Trails
Option 1: From Montserrat de Aeri
The first of the Montserrat hiking trails up the mountain starts at the same stop for the Montserrat cable car. It’s called Montserrat de Aeri.
From here you need to make your way to the Montserrat cable car station. Go across the car park and over the bridge straight ahead to the main road.
From the main road turn right. Be careful, the road is fast and busy. There is a small path down the side of the barrier which you have to walk down for around 5 minutes.
You need to look out for the start of the Montserrat trail on the opposite side of the road, as pictured below.
This Montserrat Barcelona hike will take you around 1 hour and 30 minutes from the Montserrat car cable station to reach Montserrat Monastery.
Option 2: From Monistrol de Montserrat
The other route for the Montserrat Barcelona hike starts from the next stop on the Montserrat to Barcelona train line, in the village of Monistrol. It is called Monistrol de Montserrat.
To get to the start of this Montserrat hiking trail you will first need to cross the bridge over the River El Llobregat. This leads into the village of Monistrol de Montserrat.
Next walk up Passeig de la Canaleta, turning left at the end onto Carrer de les Escoles. Then go left again up the steps along Carrer de la Font.
At the top of those steps, cross the road and you will see the start of the Montserrat Barcelona hike in front of you. Be careful – it’s a fast road on a bend.
The walk from Monistrol de Montserrat train station will take around 15 minutes. Then to climb Montserrat from here will take around 1 hour 30 minutes to reach Montserrat Monastery.
The start of this Montserrat hiking trail is a little trickier to locate and you may find you need to ask for directions.
We went up from Montserrat de Aeri and back down this way which I think is easier. To do that, just follow these directions in reverse.
Montserrat Trails Difficulty
Once on them, both of these Montserrat hiking trails are easy enough to navigate. There are a few alternative paths that go off in different directions at times, but as far as we could tell, they all converge again.
So as long as you are continuing to go up, you can’t really go wrong.
There are also some faded markers to follow on parts of the trail. However, if you are worried about getting lost, download the Barcelona region map on the Maps.Me app.
Then simply put in ‘Monestir de Montserrat’ which is Spanish for Montserrat Monastery and follow that. This is also useful to follow for knowing when you are nearing the Montserrat train stop that you want to get off at.
You will pass it on your way up, but if you do choose to hike down, look out for where the trail splits leading to either the Aeri de Montserrat or Monistrol de Montserrat starting points.
Confusingly, both routes are marked as Monistrol de Montserrat. But it is the one with ‘Per la drecera des ¾’ underneath that will take you down into the Village of Monistrol.
Both of these Montserrat hiking trails are at times a little technically challenging. Although there is a path of sorts, it is very uneven and requires climbing up and over large rocks in some places.
Particularly on the way down, the Montserrat trails can be slippery. There are lots of loose ‘prime ankle twister’ rocks so be sure to wear sturdy footwear.
It also gets very hot because large parts of the routes for hiking in Montserrat are completely exposed.
We thoroughly enjoyed our Montserrat Barcelona hike and think it is the best way of getting to Montserrat. But there are also many other Montserrat hiking trails on the mountain itself.
Once we reached the Montserrat Monastery and had a look around there, we continued up to the mountain’s summit, Sant Jeroni.
But before we get into that here’s some information on getting to the Montserrat Monastery via the Montserrat cable car or Montserrat rack railway if you don’t fancy the hike up.
Montserrat Monastery Cable Car
The Montserrat cable car, or Aeri de Montserrat as it’s known locally, takes you on a steep 5 minute journey over the Llobregat Valley and River up to the Montserrat Monastery.
It started running in 1930 and travels at a speed of 5 metres a second up a 45% gradient. It’s exhilarating, watching the ground drop away from you.
To take the Montserrat cable car you need to make sure that you get off at the correct stop.
When you near, it is the first of the two Montserrat train stops and is called Montserrat de Aeri.
The Montserrat Monastery cable car station is then right there.
Once you reach the top there is a 3 minute walk up a slope and some steps to visit Montserrat Monastery. You’ll also find the main area with the tourism office, restaurants and toilets.
The Montserrat cable car runs every 15 mins. However it has different operating times depending on the time of year.
From March to October it runs from 9:40 – 19:00. And from November to February it runs from 10:10 – 17:45 on weekdays and 9:40 – 18:15 on weekends.
At peak times there can be long queues for the Montserrat cable cars. Each ride has a maximum capacity of 35 people. So be sure to allow yourself enough time to catch your Montserrat to Barcelona train if you are coming back down this way.
Please note, if you are a disabled traveller or have limited mobility, the Montserrat cable car is unfortunately not adapted. You’ll need to take the Montserrat rack railway option.
Montserrat Rack Railway
The Montserrat rack railway, or cremallera mountain train as it is otherwise known, leaves from the second of the Barcelona to Montserrat train stops. It is called Monistrol de Montserrat, which is also the name of the town.
The Montserrat rack railway is often incorrectly referred to as a funicular which is confusing.
The two Montserrat funiculars are on top of the Montserrat mountain itself and used to access different areas of the Montserrat mountain range. More on those later.
There are 3 stops on the Montserrat rack railway, Monistrol de Montserrat, Monistrol Vila and Montserrat. Whilst there are supposedly are some nice views, the only reason you would use the Monistrol Vila stop is if you were getting to Montserrat by car to use the car park there.
There is also another car park right at the top next to Montserrat Monastery.
The Montserrat rack railway operates 8:35 to 18:15 in low season and 8:35 to 20:15 in high season. The journey from Monistrol de Montserrat to Montserrat Monastery takes around 20 minutes.
If you are going back down Montserrat mountain this way, be sure to check the last train time.
Allowing yourself enough time to make your way down for your Montserrat to Barcelona train.
The Montserrat rack railway is fully wheelchair adapted and has accompanying lifts at the stations.
The Best Montserrat Barcelona Tour
By the way, if all of this information feels a little overwhelming and you’d rather just have a Montserrat day trip from Barcelona arranged for you, this Montserrat Monastery Tour with Cable Car & Farmhouse Lunch is an excellent choice.
It’s a full Montserrat day trip with a knowledgeable bilingual guide, luxury minibus transport from Barcelona, tickets for the Montserrat cable car and visit to Montserrat Abbey. Followed by a fantastic 3 course lunch at the Masia Farmhouse, with drinks included.
If you’re looking for an even more memorable way to visit Montserrat, this Intimate Montserrat Hot Air Balloon Ride & Monastery Tour is also an incredible experience. Especially for special birthdays or anniversary celebrations.
It includes round trip transport from Barcelona, a Montserrat Monastery visit and an hour long ride soaring over the stunning Pyrenees, Mediterranean and Montserrat landscapes. After which you’ll celebrate the flight with a champagne toast.
Montserrat Mountains and Monastery
The area around the Montserrat Monastery has been developed into a small village. There are restaurants, shops, toilets, a museum, a tourist information office, a picnic area and even a farmers market.
Hiking maps are available from the tourist office.
If you are coming to Montserrat just to hike it is still worth popping into the Montserrat Monastery. Even if you are not an architecture fan or at all religious, you can’t fail to be wowed by the richness and intricacy of the building design.
History of Montserrat Barcelona
The full and correct name of the Montserrat Monastery is The Benedictine Monastery Santa Maria de Montserrat. The area has been of religious significance since pre-christian times when Romans first built a temple to worship Venus.
Its first written mention was in 888. Later, hermit monks built various hermitages and the Montserrat Monastery was founded by development of the hermitage of Santa Maria in 1025.
The Montserrat Monastery was rebuilt after largely being destroyed in the Battle of Montserrat in 1811.
During the Franco dictatorship, Montserrat Monastery put up resistance to the ban on the Catalan language and culture. Many persecuted Catalans hid out here and more than 20 monks were executed as a consequence.
This made Montserrat Monastery an important symbol of the Catalans’ fight against government oppression.
Legend of Black Madonna Montserrat
The Black Madonna or La Moreneta as she is also known, is the Patron saint of Catalonia.
Many miracles have been attributed to her over the years.
Believed to have been carved in Jerusalem at the beginning of the religion, this is one of the most important Black Madonna statues in the world. The figure is enthroned above the high altar in the basilica of the monastery.
Many pilgrimages are made every year to visit her. There is no charge but there is a separate queue to the right of the Basilica atrium. You can expect to wait up to 45 minutes at busy times and a donation is appropriate.
It is tradition for you to kiss or touch her hand whilst opening out your other hand to Jesus. It’s free to just wander into the rest of the Montserrat Monastery.
The history and art of the Black Madonna is covered in the Montserrat Museum. You’ll need to pay separately for this if you don’t have a TOT Montserrat ticket.
You can purchase tickets to the Montserrat Museum in advance online here which include skip the line priority and an audio guide.
Montserrat Funicular Information
The first of the two funiculars you can use on a visit to Montserrat is called Funicular de Sant Joan. It takes you close to the highest point of Montserrat, although a hike is still involved to reach the summit.
The other Montserrat funicular is called Funicular de Santa Cova. This actually takes you slightly back down Montserrat mountain to the cave chapel known as Santa Cova.
If you haven’t purchased a Trans Montserrat combined ticket or a TOT Montserrat ticket, you will have to buy individual tickets the funicular stations for both Funicular de Sant Joan and Funicular de Santa Cova.
Santa Cova Funicular Montserrat
Santa Cova, or Holy Grotto as it is otherwise known, is an important religious cave. Legend has it some shepherds saw the Virgin Mary here.
It is around a 20 minute walk from the Santa Cova Funicular. The Sant Joan Funicular Montserrat starts from near Montserrat Monastery. Taking you on a steep journey up the Montserrat mountainside, it runs every 20 minutes between 10:10 and 17:00.
This location on Montserrat mountain is the start of a few of the Montserrat hiking trails including the hike to the summit of Sant Jeroni.
If you are interested in learning about how funiculars work, there is a small exhibition in the Santa Cova Funicular station.
Alternatively you can also just take a picturesque hike directly from the Montserrat Monastery to get to Santa Cova along one of the Montserrat hiking trails. More on that below.
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Montserrat Hiking Map
Okay let’s get back into the other Montserrat hiking trails. Once you reach the Montserrat Monastery there are numerous different routes you can take to explore more of the mountain by foot.
The Montserrat hiking trails on the mountain are well developed and well marked, quite different to the ones on the way up. Let’s run through the details of the most popular Montserrat trails on the mountain.
Easy Montserrat Hike: 50 minutes
First up an easy one that you can do in under an hour, the Montserrat Monastery hike to Els Degotalls.
This 3.2km trail should take under 50 minutes to complete there and back. It’s a peaceful walk with lots of time for reflection on mainly flat paths.
To access this Montserrat hiking trail, head towards the Montserrat Monastery car park. Next take the path to the left of the Mirador dels Apostals.
At the end of the Cami dels Degotalls hiking route, where you will turn around, you will see the Degotalls rock formation which used to have fresh water running from it.
Medium Montserrat Hike: 1 hour 30 minutes
To access the start of this Montserrat Barcelona hike, take the paved path in between the Montserrat cable car and Montserrat rack railway stations.
It’s a little steep but will take just 20 minutes to get to the lower station of the Santa Cova Funicular.
Continue along ‘The Path of the Rosary’ flanked by monuments and panoramic views. After around 20 minutes you’ll reach the base of St Paul’s Needle. A further 25 minutes will lead you to the chapel and Santa Cova grotto.
The length of the hike there and back is 2.7km and should take around 1 hour 30 minutes in total. You return on the same path but can of course take the Santa Cova funicular back up if you want to avoid the steep incline or are short on time.
Difficult Montserrat Hike: 2 hour 30 minutes
The Montserrat hiking trail up to the San Jeroni summit is by far the most rewarding hike. If you have the time, it’s definitely the one you should choose.
It has 360 degree views, not only over the whole of the Montserrat mountain range, but also over most of Catalonia. It’s insanely good and I don’t believe any photograph will ever do it justice. You simply have to see it to believe it.
To find the start of this Montserrat hiking trail, walk past the Tourist Information Office with it on your left and follow the signs for Sant Jeroni. Signposts at regular intervals will point the direction and tell you approximately how much further there is to go to the summit.
There are some steep inclines in places and there are many steps in the final section. But it is a mainly paved path through some really pretty forest sections.
It took us around 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach the summit. And one of the greatest viewpoints in Barcelona.
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Best Montserrat Barcelona Hike
You’ll want to factor in some time to spend at the top enjoying the views. Then you can either return to the Montserrat Monastery the same way or take a different, slightly longer route.
We chose the longer route and it took us the same amount of time (1 hour 15 minutes). Obviously we were going downhill so it was a little easier.
On your way up you will notice a sharp incline through some woodland. It leads to a paved path T junction where there is a signpost marked ‘Pla dels Ocells’. You will take the right to continue up to Sant Jeroni summit.
But on your way back down, this is where you need to carry on straight forward instead of turning left down through the woodland.
After around half an hour downhill, you will come to the upper station of the Sant Joan funicular. There are some toilets here.
Walk past and straight forward up a wide paved path marked Pas dels Francesos and Monestir de Montserrat. Then keep descending all the way down to Montserrat Monastery.
There are so many more epic viewpoints for you to stop and give your knees a rest at.
Total hike time back to Montserrat Monastery is 2 hour 30mins.
Hiking in Montserrat Tips
It was a really hot day in late July when we did our Montserrat mountain hike. We each took two 1.5L bottles with us, refilling them and drinking over 4 litres each during the hike.
There is only one water fountain point and it is near the start of the Montserrat hiking trails to Sant Jeroni.
You can also buy water from the shops near the Montserrat Monastery, but it’s pretty pricey.
If you’re after keeping your costs low, our advice for your Montserrat visit is to take your own picnic.
You can freeze your water bottles to keep your food chilled. There is a nice picnic area near the Montserrat Monastery where you can stop for lunch. Although disappointingly, it isn’t shaded.
If you have the option, it is best to visit Montserrat during the week, as in general, everything is less busy. You’ll also cut down on queuing times if you do choose to use the Montserrat cable car or funicular systems.
Also be extra careful with your belongings at Plaça Espanya in Barcelona. It’s a busy train station and a renowned hotspot for pickpockets. They will definitely target confused tourists looking for the correct platform for the Barcelona to Montserrat train.
Planning to do the full Montserrat Barcelona hike from the bottom, right up to the summit and back? We recommend taking a Barcelona to Montserrat train before 9am.
This will allow you plenty of exploring time without worrying about missing the last train back.
Just to recap, these were our hiking times.
- Montserrat de Aeri to Montserrat Monastery: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Montserrat Monastery to Sant Jeroni summit: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Sant Jeroni summit to Montserrat Monastery: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Montserrat Monastery to Monistrol de Montserrat: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total hiking time = 5 hours 15 minutes
When you’re following the Montserrat Barcelona hike signposts, pay very close attention. Monistrol de Montserrat. i.e. Monistrol village, is very similar to Monestir de Montserrat, i.e. Montserrat Monastery.
They are, however, in completely different directions. Don’t get the two mixed up.
Montserrat Barcelona Weather
Montserrat Barcelona has a mountain climate, it is very exposed to the elements. In the summer months it gets very hot as there is little shade. But it will also likely be chillier that the ground below and certainly Barcelona city.
It can often be foggy and gets very windy at the Sant Jeroni Montserrat summit. There are also lots of little micro climates with temperatures changing rapidly.
The best time to visit Montserrat is May to September when you can mostly expect temperatures between 20-25°C. The warmest months are July and August. There are higher chances of rain in October and November. October can be very wet.
If you are coming on a Montserrat day trip from Barcelona it’s best to dress in layers you can easily take on and off.
Visit Montserrat Packing List
- Waterproof day backpack – these ones are tops
- Large refillable water bottles – like these
- Sun hat or buff to protect your head
- Comfortable and sturdy footwear
- High factor sun protector cream – we use this
- Energy snacks such as nuts or dried fruit
- Lightweight jumper (for women / for men)
- Smartphone with Maps.Me downloaded
- Portable power bank and cable
- Lightweight collapsible hiking poles
- Small first aid kit with painkillers
- Adventure proof camera – this is THE best
- Sunglasses
- Extra pair of quality hiking socks
- Blister packs – get these
Montserrat Accommodation Options
Fancy visiting Montserrat on more than a one day trip from Barcelona? Perhaps to explore more of the Montserrat hiking trails?
Here’s a few Montserrat accommodation options.
Affordable Luxury: Racó de Ingrid a Montserrat
This beautiful apartment is situated just 100 yards from Monistrol de Montserrat train station and rack railway that can take you to Montserrat Monastery. The apartment is composed of a bedroom, a living room, a fully equipped kitchen, and a bathroom.
It also benefits from air-conditioning, has a sauna, access to an outdoor swimming pool and a spacious terrace with stunning views looking out over the Montserrat mountains. If you are coming straight from the airport the owners also provide a private transfer service.
Mid Range: Hotel Abat Cisneros Montserrat
Positioned in an excellent location right by Montserrat Monastery, guests are able to visit the Black Madonna early or later in the day to avoid any crowds. This Montserrat hotel has crazy beautiful views out over the mountains and the Llobregat Valley below.
The rooms are spacious, comfortable and all come with a private bathroom. The breakfast buffet has excellent reviews, as does the onsite bar and restaurant. There is parking available nearby and a 24-hour front desk.
Cheap & Cheerful: Alberg Abat Oliba Hostel
Located just 650 yards from Aeri de Montserrat, this Montserrat accommodation is a great base for exploring the area. It has a well equipped shared kitchen, WiFi throughout the property, and good breakfast included in the price.
Newly refurbished, all rooms have a private bathroom with shower. There are lots of different size rooms to choose from, all with large lockers to securely store your belongings and plug sockets next to each bed.
If you have any further information to add from your own Montserrat Barcelona Hike, have any questions, or have time to tell us whether you found our information on Montserrat useful so we can write more articles like this, please leave a comment below.
You may also find the following articles helpful:
- Alternative things to do in Barcelona
- Day Trip From Barcelona To Tarragona
- Barcelona Hacks To Know Before You Go
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
As with any trip, make sure you have a good quality travel insurance in place. Our go to travel insurance provider is World Nomads.
They have a no bullshit approach to travel insurance policies & are perfect for adventurous travellers like us. Get a quote here:
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Yorkshire born & bred, Sarah is a professional blogger who loves to travel. Pushing her boundaries with new adventures is her jam, so you likely won’t find her in one place for too long. Also a serious Marmite addict.
Thank you so much! I’ve been looking for this for days.. Well put out as well. I have a quick question.. Is it risky to plan to take the first train, do the hike up to the monastery and spend an hour there, then do the San Jeroni hike then back to Monistrol de Montserrat? Does it give enough time to catch the last train or am I winging it? Thanks a ton, again!
So glad it’s helpful for you! You’ll be completely fine with that itinerary. Ask at the tourist info desk before you head off on the San Jeroni bit what time the last train is for that day, then you’ll know exactly how much time you have to play with. Have an awesome time! It’s such a beautiful hike.
This is such an amazing detailed post! Exactly what I needed this weekend to go hiking in Montserrat :=) thank you for the explanations and the tips
You are so welcome Raquel! Hope you had the best time. We love it up there.
That was an amazing guide and all the info is still correct! Thanks for taking all the headaches out of the trip for me! 🙂
Hey Sean, thanks for taking the time to come back and let us know! We really appreciate it. And we’re so glad that the guide helped as well, that place, and particularly getting there, can be pretty confusing. Hope you had an amazing time 🙂
Hiked up today and your article helped a lot getting stared. I improvised from the start trail at the bottom, but having the article in the back of my head made it a blast. Thanks for writing it <3
We met some climbers up there, there are a lot of nice routes for them too.
And in general if you like to get in contact with people, at least have a chat with them on the decent together!
Hey Oliver, so happy the info helped 🙂 And agreed, it’s nice to have a chat with the people you meet on the way, plenty of different kinds of people visiting for all manner of different activities. Glad you enjoyed it!
A very interesting guide. Thanks a lot! But one question further: do you know if there are any extended hiking routes starting from the Monastery? Or is it just a one day trip? Thanks!
Hey Boris, as far as we’re aware there are various routes you can take from the monastery but they’re just ones you can complete within the day. We didn’t see any info on extending the hikes further unfortunately.
Hi.
The 2.5 hour St. Jeroni hike, is that the one you did in 1.5 hours (faster than the estimated time)? Or its described as 2.5 hours because it assumes there + back? Trying to figure out timing.
Thanks!
Hi Naomi, it took us 2 hours 30 total to get from the monastery to the peak and back again, 1:15 each way.
Hope that helps. And enjoy the hike!
Fyi there is also a hostel there which is super modern and only 12 euros a night per bed
Hey Harry, we didn’t know that, what’s the hostel called?
We’ll add it in to the article if you can let us know the details. Thanks for the info, much appreciated 🙂
The hostel is called Hostal Abat Oliba and is part of the Camino Catalan route for peregrinos. I came across your site while looking to see how easy it is to find the hike to Igualada for the Camino, so for earlier poster @boris you can extend this hike all the way to Santiago de Compostela If you’d like as it is an official route.
Hi guys,
Just wanted to say thank you for this article! It helped my friend and I so much. I don’t think we would have made it up without you! Also noted that when you say the hike is difficult, you mean difficult!! 😂 but we made it up in 1.5hrs and took the cable car back down as we were scared of going down that tired! But seriously, thank you so much!
Hey Jenna, you’re very welcome, so glad you found the post useful. It’s definitely a difficult hike on the way up 🙂
Hi peeps, Great blog, thanks. Wanting to know the incline of Sant Jeroni hike from the abbey. Will runners be sufficient for the hike?
Many thx in advance
Hey Ailan, I’m not sure of the exact incline but we both wore runners and had no problems wahtsoever.
Enjoy your hike 🙂
I have been searching for days for clear information like this on hiking Montserrat. I have bookmarked this and will be referring to it while visiting Montserrat in June. Thank you for writing such a clear and concise rundown of the area!
Hi Katie, so glad that you’ve found it helpful!
We hope you have a fantastic time here in June, let us know how it goes.
Amazing Blog. Just followed your instructions to hike it to the top. All accurate ❤️
Hi Ryan, so glad you found the information helpful. Thanks for coming back & letting us know 🙂
Don’t forget to stop by the vista at St. Michael’s cross. Once you arrive, if you look carefully and follow the slope of the mountain, you can spot the cross at the vista against the blue sky by looking toward the Mediterranean from the road below the monastery/near the parking lot. Once you hike to the vista, on a clear day, you can see to the Pyrenees and to the ships on the Mediterranean. The view of the monastery from St. Michael’s Cross is the iconic photo of the monastery nestled against the backdrop of the entire mountainside (and the Pyrenees far in the background) that you will find in any image search. It’s one of the most picturesque views I’ve seen anywhere in the world; don’t skip it. Also, don’t forget to catch the Boys Choir at midday (~1pm, if I recall correctly) inside the basilica. The choir only sings for a brief time (some amount of minutes), so ask when it is scheduled for the day. If you want some liquid courage before you climb, stop by the book store and visit the vendor in the corner for free samples of liqueurs from the monastery…although that was pre-COVID.
Such amazing tips, thanks so much for taking the time to add those – we’ll definitely be checking them out next time we’re there!
This is by far the best and most comprehensive blog I have seen on visiting Montserrat. I have spent hours trying to plan for this and the information is pretty confusing everywhere else. Thank you for putting this together; you clearly put a ton of time and effort into creating this masterpiece. I will bookmark this website and come back for anything else I’m interested in. Thanks!!!
Ah thanks so much for the lovely feedback. Hope you had/have an amazing time. It’s such a beautiful place!
Thank you so much for this incredibly detailed and helpful post. I spent hours trying to understand the Montserrat trails and travel options before I found your blog–this answered all of my questions!